The Dark Knight Rises Prologue: A Fan Perspective

Yesterday I ventured out to the nearest IMAX theatre to watch Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol. While I enjoy that franchise, the main attraction for me was The Dark Knight Rises prologue that was attached exclusively to the film. The prologue basically consists of Bane and his cohorts being apprehended, and subsequently derailing the plane that serves as their transportation The prologue then transitions into a montage of clips, featuring a fight between Batman and Bane, the Batwing chasing the tumbler and a quick glimpse of Catwoman, before ending with the familiar Batman logo.

It is too hard to choose which Batman prologue I prefer, between TDK and TDKR. Both prologue’s showcase two vastly different villains. The Dark Knight has The Joker, showcasing a psychotic maniac whose actions are unpredictable. Meanwhile, The Dark Knight Rises focuses on Bane, a calculating mercenary who can physically destroy those who oppose him. Really, asking me to choose one prologue over the other, is like asking Hugh Hefner to choose one playmate over the other. Why choose one, when I can enjoy both just the same. The plane sequence in this prologue was spectacular. I wont give away the details but imagine an action scene from a James Bond movie, going out on a date with an action scene from Inception. What happens at the end of the night, would be the plane scene featuring Bane. I read a couple of reports that people had trouble hearing Bane’s dialogue. I had no such issue. I thought Bane’s voice was perfectly eerie. Whether that was all Tom Hardy, or the fact that he was wearing a mask, the tone worked. That coupled with Tom Hardy’s imposing physique and the dialogue, suggest Bane is going to be an opponent like none other Batman has ever faced.

I wont spoil the final piece of footage but it will send chills up and down your spine. Especially if you’ve read the Knightfall saga in the Batman comic books. If you’re a Batman fan with an IMAX screen in or around your area, you owe it to yourself to see this footage. The Dark Knight Rises prologue was worth the $17 ticket price! Oh yeah, Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol was pretty good too.

Update: While the prologue won’t be released online, Warner Bros has released the first full length trailer for the film